Peter McCarty Abbott

During the war

He was enlisted on 4 July 1861, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (9, 10). He was mustered into service as a private on 22 July 1861, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (9). He initially served in company F of the 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry (2, 9).

In October 1861 or 1 November 1862 he was transferred to company M (1, 2, 9 [1 Nov 1862]).

On 17 July 1864, he was reported returned to duty from absent without leave (11).

He was transferred to the 91st Pennsylvania on 20 July 1864 (1).

On 26 July 1864, John Lentz asked for advice about Abbott: a guard from the Provost Major at Brigade Headquarters had brought Abbott to them, but his name was not on the list of men transferred to the 91st, and Lentz thought he might be entitled to a discharge (2).

He claimed that he left for City Point in the afternoon of 19 July 1864, with companies L and M of the 62nd Pennsylvania (2). Captain Murry gave him a pass to visit his father, who was at the corps hospital (2). He was supposed to return by 9 AM, to catch a boat for Washington (2). Unfortunately, the boat left early, and he went to the provost marshal at City Point to find out what to do (2).

This account differs significantly from that told by Matthew Wilson, who was then the acting orderly sergeant of company M of the 62nd Pennsylvania (2). According to Wilson, Abbott had been absent from his company since 2 May 1864, except for eleven days (2). He had last straggled from his company on 16 June 1864 while they were marching from the James River to Petersburg, Virginia (2). He was returned under guard on 16 July 1864 (2).

On 2 August 1864, Lentz ordered a guard of one man to be placed on Abbott each day until his court martial (3).

The court martial found him guilty, and sentenced him to lose all pay due him then or in the future as a soldier, to make good the time lost, and to be dishonorably discharged (4). He was transferred to company K on 16 August 1864 (4, 12).

He was dishonorably discharged on 20 October 1864 (1, 9 [24 Oct], 10 [19 Oct], 13). However, his conviction and dishonorable discharge seem to have been overturned--his wife received a pension, and the government paid for his tombstone (5). According to the consolidated morning report, he was discharged when his term expired (13).